The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a rear wheel suspension system and a derailleur assembly of a bicycle.
The primary structural component of a conventional two-wheel bicycle is the frame. On a conventional road bicycle, the frame is typically constructed from a set of tubular members assembled together to form the frame. For many bicycles, the frame is constructed from members commonly referred to as the top tube, down tube, seat tube, seat stays and chain stays, and those members are joined together at intersections commonly referred to as the head tube, seat post, bottom bracket and rear dropout. The top tube usually extends from the head tube rearward to the seat tube. The head tube, sometimes referred to as the neck, is a short tubular structural member at the upper forward portion of the bicycle which supports the handlebar and front steering fork, which has the front wheel on it. The down tube usually extends downwardly and rearward from the head tube to the bottom bracket, the bottom bracket usually comprising a cylindrical member for supporting the pedals and chain drive mechanism which powers the bicycle. The seat tube usually extends from the bottom bracket upwardly to where it is joined to the rear end of the top tube. The seat tube also usually functions to telescopically receive a seat post for supporting a seat or saddle for the bicycle rider to sit on.
The chain stays normally extend rearward from the bottom bracket. The seat stays normally extend downwardly and rearward from the top of the seat tube. The chain stays and seat stays are normally joined together with a rear dropout for supporting the rear axle of the rear wheel. The portion of the frame defined by the head tube, seat post and bottom bracket and the structural members that join those three items together can be referred to as the main front triangular portion of the frame, with the seat stays and chain stays defining a rear triangular portion of the frame. The foregoing description represents the construction of a conventional bicycle frame which of course does not possess a suspension having any shock absorbing characteristics.
The increased popularity in recent years of off-road cycling, particularly on mountains and cross-country, has made a shock absorbing system in many instances a biking necessity. A bicycle with a properly designed suspension system is capable of traveling over extremely bumpy, uneven terrain and up or down very steep inclines. Suspension bicycles are less punishing, reduce fatigue and reduce the likelihood of injury to the rider, and are much more comfortable to ride. For off-road cycling in particular, a suspension system greatly increases the rider's ability to control the bicycle because the wheels remain in contact with the ground as they ride over rocks and bumps in the terrain instead of being bounced into the air as occurs on conventional non-suspension bicycles. Over the last several years the number of bicycles now equipped with suspension systems has dramatically increased. In fact, many bicycles are now fully suspended, meaning that the bicycle has both a front suspension and a rear suspension. Front suspensions were the first to become popular. Designed to remove the pounding to the bicycle front end, the front suspension is simpler to implement than a rear suspension. A front suspension fork is easy to retrofit onto an older model bicycle. On the other hand, a rear suspension will increase traction and assist in cornering and balance the ride.
During cycling, as the bicycle moves along a desired path, discontinuities of the terrain are communicated to the assembly of the bicycle and ultimately to the rider. Although such discontinuities are generally negligible for cyclists operating on paved surfaces, riders venturing from the beaten path frequently encounter such terrain. With the proliferation of mountain biking, many riders seek the more treacherous trail. Technology has developed to assist such adventurous riders in conquering the road less traveled. Wheel suspension systems are one such feature.
Riding a fully suspended mountain bike along a rough, rock strewn trail, or even level riding on city and country roads, provides a new degree of safety and comfort to the rider. It is in downhill riding and racing that a rear suspension is most beneficial, but even on ordinary city and country roads, a rear suspension allows the rider to maintain a forward facing orientation to more safely view traffic and road conditions without paying disproportionate attention to stones and potholes immediately below in the rider's path. A number of pivoting “swing arm” suspensions have been developed for rear wheel suspensions on bicycles. In its simplest configuration, the chain stays, which on a conventional bicycle frame are rigidly mounted, are replaced by a pair of swing arms that are pivotably attached at their front ends to the generally fixed front triangular portion of the frame. The pivot is usually located near the bottom bracket where the pedal and crank are supported. The rear ends of the swing arms, which support the rear axle, move upward and downward in response to the rear wheel striking rocks, curbs and other obstructions. The range of movement of the swing arm usually is controlled by a shock absorber affixed between the swing arm and the main front frame. Although such systems have allowed riders to conquer more aggressive terrain, room for improvement still exists.
Many riders appreciate that braking on mountain bikes can feel “chattery”, or as though the wheel is skipping over the terrain rather than rolling thereover. This chatter can detract from rider comfort and confidence as well as adversely affect bicycle performance. During normal operation, as the wheel moves across the ground, a contact patch of the tire is defined as the area of the tire that engages the ground surface. During translation of the suspension system relative to the frame, the contact patch rotates about the tire relative to an axis of rotation of the tire. Typically, the contact patch rotates 10 to 23 degrees for bikes having a suspension which travel ranging from about 122 to approximately 180 millimeters. Other suspension systems provide contact patch rotation in the range of 7 to 12 degrees for bicycles having 120 to 250 millimeters of suspension travel. Rotation of the contact patch contributes to the operational chatter perceived by the rider. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a suspension system having a reduced contact patch rotation.
Braking forces also affect operation of the suspension system. Braking forces can cause the suspension system to compress or extend based, in part, on the orientation of the brake system with respect to the movable links of the suspension and/or the fixed portion constructed to support the rider. Improper association of the brake system with the rear wheel and the movable members of the suspension system can detrimentally affect bicycle performance as well as stopping ability. During braking, rider momentum generates a forward weight shift which acts to compress the front suspension while extending the rear suspension. The extension of the rear suspension system un-weights the rear wheel and tends to reduce rear tire traction. The reduction in rear tire traction adversely affects braking power in that, if the rear tire traction is sufficiently reduced, the rear tire may be allowed to slide along the ground surface. Such an event can distract a rider and may adversely affect the rider's ability to maintain control of the bicycle. If the loss of rear tire traction during braking, or skid, is unanticipated by the rider, the rider may even crash. Accordingly, it is also desired to provide a suspension system that enhances the attitude of the bicycle during braking so as to provide at least partial compression of the suspension system through a majority of braking conditions.
Another consideration to bicycle construction is bicycle maintenance. Occasionally, wheels, tires, tubes or other components of a bicycle need replacing or periodic servicing. Although front wheel assemblies are generally equipped with a quick release or the like, rear wheel assemblies are generally require more time and attention to service. For multi-speed bikes, a gear set is commonly associated with the rear wheel and is operatively engaged with a chain of the bicycle. The gear set includes a number of gears of varying diameters that alter the mechanical advantage associated with peddling the bicycle. A derailleur is generally engaged with the chain in close proximity to the gear set and manipulates the chain to facilitate smooth transitioning of the chain between the various gears of the gear set.
The derailleur is also generally associated with maintaining a desired tension of the chain. The derailleur commonly includes a movable arm that is biased away from the gear set. As the chain is moved along the gear set from a smaller gear to a larger gear, the chain deflects the arm of the derailleur against the bias force to accommodate the chain path associated with the larger gear. As the chain is moved along the gear set from a larger gear to a smaller gear, the bias force maintains the desired tension of the chain to maintain smooth interaction between the gear of the crankset and the gears of the gear set. The gear set, the derailleur, and the chain, and the interaction therebetween complicate any maintenance task that is performed on the rear wheel assembly.
Commonly, removing the rear wheel either requires or results in removal of the derailleur assembly from the bicycle. The manipulation of multiple independent parts complicates the assembly and construction of the rear wheel assembly. That is, the user must orient or otherwise associate the multiple parts to ensure proper operation of the wheel system when assembled and attached to the bicycle. Doing so can be a time consuming, challenging, and sometimes frustrating endeavor. Accordingly, it is further desired to provide a bicycle wheel assembly with a robust derailleur system that is generally aligned with a rear wheel axis and that is independently engageable with the bicycle assembly.